MORE than the tremendous resilience India’s best doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty displayed in the Thailand Open, it was their comments made about lack of credit after their Thomas Cup bronze victory that created quite a buzz in Indian sporting arena. The duo was unfazed by the debate their comments had caused as they found their mojo in the tournament in Bangkok where the singles participants tasted early defeats. But their story and their lament captured the apathy towards all other sports and their practitioners in the country still obsessed with cricket. Satwik’s frustration was out on the social media after the quiet return of the Indian contingent which won a bronze in the Thomas Cup in Denmark last month. His story reflected the sorry state of affairs of sports in India as not a single member of the Badminton Association of India or the Sports Ministry was present at the airport to receive the bronze medal-winning contingent.

 

The apathy was rankling for the team which went all guns blazing to bring back an elusive victory in the Thomas Cup. Though the 2022 gold remains the benchmark for Indian badminton in Thomas Cup, the bronze in this edition was no less an achievement as it was won by a team that was making a comeback after a series of setbacks. There was nothing wrong in Satwik’s outburst when he question if it was too much to ask for a little care from the citizens of the country, the officials and the sporting ecosystem. He and partner Chirag had been the top-ranked players in BWF doubles rankings. Yet, after so many exploits to keep the tricolour fluttering on the badminton courts, they are still victims of anonymity in the country. It is a jarring reminder of the place where all other sportspersons, other than cricketers, stand in the Indian sporting hierarchy.

 

This is not only the story of a certain Satwiksairaj or a Lakshya Sen or a Chirag Shetty. This is the story of all those invisible champions who are remembered only once in four years when the country jumps on the Olympic bandwagon. After the event, after the quick fading of the euphoria of celebrating India’s medal-winners, these athletes are easily forgotten. It is a culture in this land and a sad one at that. While the blame can easily be pinned on the popularity of cricket in India, there are many other factors responsible for this apathy. Cricket has carved its place in the fans’ mind on the dint of its super structure. The game found its lovers and managed to keep the affair intact on the strength of a neatly-managed system which ensured proper limelight for its players. The way the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken the game to new heights is a lesson for all sporting federations in the country. The National Sports Federations have seen the popularity of cricket soar but kept indulging in guarding their own personal turfs. It resulted in the game and players facing long patches of anonymity. The culture is seeing a gradual change but there is still a long way to go before India respects all of its sporting champions.